Lacoste

STAR TREK: DEEP FREEZE NINENew York: When one thinks of Lacoste, innovation doesn’t exactly come to mind – preppy, sporty, pragmatic are the more likely adjectives. The last few years – first at the helm of Christophe Lemaire and now Felipe Oliveira Baptista – have slowly peeled back the layers of Lacoste’s inventive past, as well as exposed its fashion potential. In honor of the brand’s 80th birthday, Baptista paid tribute to founder René Lacoste, focusing primarily on his patent of the piqué polo in the 20s. Using Mr. Lacoste as muse, Baptista tapped into his own sense of innovation, reinforcing and molding piqué into sculptural shapes that resembled the glaciers printed on matched sets and outerwear. The roots were sporty – sweatshirts, polo dresses, windbreakers – however, the interpretation was futuristic in material and shape. Even color blocks in clinical greys, orange and green took on a synthetic quality that recalled the garb of the Starship Enterprise. Beam me up, crocodile.—Nivara Xaykao